


That's What Brothers Are For

by WildHoneyProse



Series: Closer Than A Brother [3]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Brothers, Cody is a good big brother, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:07:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29422806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WildHoneyProse/pseuds/WildHoneyProse
Summary: Cadet Cody meets a little brother who needs some advice... and a name.
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody & CT-7567 | Rex
Series: Closer Than A Brother [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2161434
Comments: 14
Kudos: 49
Collections: Star Wars Valentine's Exchange 2021





	That's What Brothers Are For

**Author's Note:**

  * For [@innocent-until-proven-geeky](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=%40innocent-until-proven-geeky).



> For @innocent-until-proven-geeky! Part of the Star Wars Valentine's Exchange 2021!

Cody made his way through the winding hallways leading to the cadet barracks, exhausted from yet another day of intense training. To any outsider, these hallways would have been an impossible maze of blinding white, but any clone cadet could walk them in their sleep. In fact, many of them had. 

Cody stopped in his tracks at a small sound coming from a supply closet nearby. He nodded to a group of cadets passing by, waiting until they were out of sight before opening the closet. Inside, a cadet sat on the floor with his knees pulled up to his chest, his small frame shaking with sobs. 

"Hey, you ok?" Cody asked.

The cadet's blond head shot up, and he wiped furiously at the tears streaming down his round face. "I'm fine! Just leave me alone!" he said.

Cody paused to assess the situation and determine the best course of action, as any good commander would. He recognized this cadet, and not just because he was one of the few blond cadets in the sea of dark curly hair on Kamino. Cody had seen him out-shoot and out-strategize cadets much older than him. The boy was younger than Cody, and though they hadn't been in many classes together, the little cadet's intelligence and confidence were easy to see. Cody wondered what could have shaken him enough to make him hide in a supply closet to cry. 

Footsteps echoed down the hallway. Cody quickly stepped inside, closed the door, and sat down facing the boy. 

"Hey, what's your name, kid?"

"CT-7567" 

"No name yet, huh?"

"No. But I'm afraid if my trainer calls me ‘Shrimp’ one more time, it's gonna stick." He looked up at Cody with tears spilling from his big, golden-brown eyes. "I don't want to be called Shimp," he whispered.

Cody felt bad for the boy. He knew a few cadets who were stuck with names they hated and was thankful it hadn't happened to him. 

"Why would your trainer call you that?" he asked.

"Because... I'm smaller than the... rest of my batch and... I'm blond, and he said I'm... defective," the boy stuttered through his sobs.

Cody wasn't quite sure what to do, but he knew that as a future commander, he would be expected to lead and inspire his troops, even when they were distraught. He decided this was as good a time as any to practice. 

"Who cares if you're smaller? I've seen what you can do. You're at the top of your class, even challenging cadets my age." 

The boy stopped crying and stared at Cody in shock. "You're a CC. You've noticed me?"

"Yeah, It's my job as a CC to notice the best," Cody said with a shrug.

"The best?" The cadet’s eyes grew wide with wonder.

" _Potential_ to be the best. Listen, kid, you're smarter than most of the cadets out there. You just need to prove to 'em that you've got what it takes to be the best. Then they won't be able to give you a hard time. You'll always be seen as different. You just need to show 'em that being different isn't a bad thing."

"You really think I can be the best?" the cadet asked, hope shining in his eyes.

"Sure. You just have to work harder than everyone else." 

The blond boy smiled up at him, and Cody started to believe that this _‘leading and inspiring the troops_ ’ thing might not be so hard after all.

"Thank you!" the cadet said. "Wait, I don't know your name."

"I'm Cody."

"Thanks, Cody!"

___

The mess hall was loud and buzzing with typical mealtime energy. Cody and Wolffe made their way through the swarms of younger cadets to the table where the rest of their batch was waiting. They stopped short as a small voice behind them shouted, "Hey Cody! Cody! Wait up!"

Cody and Wolffe turned to see a small blond cadet weaving his way toward them.

"Who's this?" Wolffe asked Cody as the boy strode up to them with a grin on his face.

“I’m CT-7567,” he said to Wolffe before turning back to Cody. “I just wanted to say thank you again for your advice! I've been working extra hard this week just like you said, and my trainer stopped calling me shrimp."

"Shrimp, huh? Doesn't sound too far off." Wolffe snorted in amusement, then grunted as Cody elbowed him in the ribs. 

"Don't mind Wolffe here. He hit his head a little too hard in training today,” Cody said. “That's great! I told you working hard would pay off."

Wolffe rolled his eyes. "Well, I'm gonna go eat before someone yells at us for wasting time. You coming?"

"Yeah, I'm coming. You can come sit with us if you want, kid," Cody said.

"Really? I'd love to!" the cadet said, falling into step beside Cody.

“You know, I have an idea for your name if you want to hear it,” Cody said.

“You do? For me? Wow!”

"Yeah, I was thinking _Rex_ would be a good name," Cody said, grinning as the boy's eyes widened. "I read about it the other night. It means king. You don’t have to take it if you don’t like it though."

"I love it!" the little cadet exclaimed, practically shaking with excitement. 

"Good, 'cause I think it fits you."

“Thank you so much!”

Cody shrugged, “that’s what brothers are for.” 

When they got to the table, Cody introduced his batch. "This is Bly, Fox, and Ponds, and you already met Wolffe."

"Hey, kid. What's your name?" Bly asked.

Rex looked up at Cody, unsure. At Cody's reassuring smile, he turned back to the table and answered, "My name’s Rex! Nice to meet you."


End file.
